Panaderias. Our community has many.
If you are a regular at one, keep reading, but this writing is aimed at those who don’t know them, or haven’t indulged themselves lately.
For those not in the know, pan means bread in Spanish, so that makes a panaderia a bakery. You will find pan dulce, which is sweet bread. There will be more on that later. You'll also find pan de huevo, which is egg bread, but don’t make assumptions; postres, which means pastries; and bolillos, which are savory rolls. These are very loose translations, so if you disagree, educate those around you, but don’t argue.
It is the custom in much of the world to visit these kinds of places in the morning and grab a pastry and a coffee on the way to whereever you are going. And maybe stop in on the way home in the evening to get something for dinner or breakfast.
The cooking culture of Mexico was highly influenced by the French, when they owned the real estate for a while, and also by the Austrians. These baked goodies reflect the cuisines of those cultures and also how they evolved and changed.
When Emperor Napoleon III made Archduke Maximilian of Austria Emperor of Mexico in the 1860s, Max brought with him a large court of French and Austrian royals, and they brought their staffs.
You can see the subtle French and Austrian influences in many aspects of Mexican cuisine, including sauces (salsas) and bouillabaisses. However, you can really see the influence in the pastries. Many of the classic Mexican panaderia shapes are classic shapes of Austrian/Viennese and French pastries.
It is claimed that the calories in Mexican pan dulce are one-third that of similar French pasties and that they are not as sweet. Take that with a grain of sugar because portion sizes and individual styles of the baker will, I’m sure, affect the calorie content far more than any one can claim. But in general, yes, pan dulce seems to be less sugary and less filled with cream
Most panaderias have a huge assortment of pastries, breads and other goodies--but don’t be intimidated. One feature of most of these establishments is the entirely democratic way of selecting your goodies.
You will find a tray and some tongs inside most panaderias; you are free to start selecting from the cases of goodies.
Short Shelf Life
A bit of advice--think of these things as just for yourself and someone you love, don’t take too many. These are real breads, real food, and they don’t have a shelf life like the industrial breads you’ll find at the supermarket. Take a few for what you will use in a day or two, and then go back again and keep exploring. This will give you the excuse to return soon and indulge
I’m not a coffee drinker, but the coffee smells at these places were delightful.
Some offer other goodies, such as tamales and prepared meats and sandwiches.
Each bakery will have different sizes and shapes and styles and quality to the product, so get to know them and settle on one you enjoy
Remember, again, that this is real bread, and often doesn’t have a long shelf life. They can go stale sooner than that loaf of white sponge you may have now.
In no particular order, visit the following panaderias:
- Elsa’s Bakery, 5102 York Blvd.
And these super markets:
The sizes of the pan dulce, and the price, vary somewhat by each location. I was tempted to review each place, and enjoyed eating my way through them. But I really think you should explore these places and leave reviews below and on our Places pages.
I do want to spotlight one place and one item. Do your best to try the bolillos at Elsa’s. Really exceptional bread.
The next time you need some goodies for work, or a party, go to a panaderia and load up. A change from the usual box of donuts.
